Ga. Power power exec Judy Anderson retiring

Sometimes, but far too rarely, someone reaches out to you and effortlessly changes your life.

For me, that someone is Judy Anderson, who up until now has been president of the Georgia Power Foundation and a corporate civic leader for decades.

Anderson, 60, is retiring this month after 29 years with Southern Co./Georgia Power Co. where she worked for six of the utility’s CEOs (Jim Miller, Bob Scherer, Bill Dahlberg, Allen Franklin, David Ratcliffe and Mike Garrett).

But that barely begins to describe Anderson’s contributions.

After my first column appeared in January 1991, my phone rang. It was a woman I did not know who told me how excited she was that Atlanta had a woman business columnist.

“I want to do everything I can to help make you a success,” Anderson said. Her proposition was to let her set up a series of lunches with people I should get to know.

For the next several months that led to years, Judy introduced me to amazing people: Marie Dodd of the Ivan Allen Co.; Juanita Baranco of Baranco Automotive; Jackie Ward, then of Computer Generation; Veronica Biggins, then of C&S Bank; Chip Davidson, then of Hines; plus so many others.

Those introductions have led to lasting professional relationships and friendships. In fact, for years, Judy has organized quarterly lunches with an incredible group of a dozen or so women — including Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, The Coca-Cola Co.’s Ingrid Saunders Jones, Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Susan Neugent and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Esther Silver Parker — who just shared tales of what was happening in each other’s lives.

“Judy has quietly been a driving force in providing great leadership and not taking credit for any of it,” Biggins said. “She’s an extraordinary business person. She was the first female officer at Georgia Power, and she used that platform to help other women.”

One of her bosses: Southern Co. CEO David Ratcliffe said her retirement will leave a void that will be hard to fill.

“We are going to miss her a lot,” Ratcliffe said. “She’s been a key leader in this town for a long, long time. And she’s been a strong friend and confidante of mine.”

Anderson said she decided to retire so she could enjoy “spur-of-the-moment-type things.” By her own calculation, she has either served on the boards or done fundraising for 43 different organizations in Atlanta. She promises to remain involved in the community.

“I’m not dying. I’m just retiring,” Anderson said. “I’m looking forward to the next phase of my journey.”

And may Judy serve as an inspiration for all of us to effortlessly reach out to help someone else succeed.

Civic League awards

A reinvigorated Civic League for Regional Atlanta is finding its footing.

The league held its annual dinner — What’s Right With The Region — on Feb. 26 when it handed out five awards to organizations and people who demonstrate what’s best in metro Atlanta.

The award winners were: EarthCraft Communities (Southface and Greater Atlanta Home Builders); Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center; Kelly Jordan for Arabia Mountain conservation efforts; and the Transit Planning Board (now the Transit Implementation Board). Developer Ray Weeks received the Founders’ Award for his work as chairman of the BeltLine Partnership.

The keynote speaker was Milton Jones, president of Bank of America – Georgia, who shared his views of what was right with the region.

First, the Atlanta region has a diverse economy with a broad business base. Second, the region has been blessed with a vision toward the future, whether it be MARTA, Hartsfield-Jackson or the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Jones also credited progressive government leaders who helped enact the metro area’s vision. Another strength is that the region is a center for entrepreneurship and the emergence of companies — think The Home Depot, H.J. Russell & Co., Scientific-Atlanta, etc.

The nonprofit community also has been poised to step in when needed; the effort to save Grady Memorial Hospital is just the latest example.

Jones also mentioned education as a bright spot, including the strength of our colleges and universities, as well as the progress under way at Atlanta’s public schools.

Lastly, Jones said metro Atlanta benefits by having reasonably priced housing that will help to attract population growth. For example, metro Atlanta is expected to grow by 1.2 million people by 2030 — roughly the current size of Charlotte, N.C., Jones said.

More than 300 people attended the Civic League dinner, according to Myles Greene Smith, a retired Georgia Power executive who is the new executive director working for $1 a year. Chair Lesley Grady, who is a vice president of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, also said the organization has lowered its membership rates to welcome new members. For more info: www.civicleagueatlanta.org.

My new Web site

I’ve started a new Web site called SaportaReport at www.SaportaReport.com. I hope you’ll check it out.